Hendrik Gerritsz. Pot

Private collection, Paris, until June 1920;
Anonymous sale, Amsterdam, Frederik Muller, 29 June 1920, lot 9, as by Isaac Elias;
Galerie van Diemen & Co., Berlin;
Their sale, Berlin, Paul Graupe, 25/26 January 1935, lot 46, reproduced plate 24, as by Hendrik Gerritsz. Pot;
With P. de Boer, Amsterdam, by 1938, from whom acquired by J.F.M. Sterck, Aerdenhout (died 31 August 1941);
Thence by descent to J.M. Sterck-Proot, Aerdenhout;
With D.A. Hoogendijk & Co., Amsterdam, acquired on 29 October 1941, and sold to the Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn on 17 July 1942, through Rademacher;
Marienstadt Convent, Marienstadt;
Stichting Nederlands Kunstbezit, The Hague, 1950, inv. no. 2796;
Dienst voor 's Rijks Verspreidende Kunstvoorwerpen, The Hague, inv. no. NK2244;
Instituut Collectie Nederland, Rijswijk, inv. no. NK2244;
Restituted to the heirs of Jakob and Rosa Oppenheimer in 2008.

 

Rijksdienst Beeldende Kunst/The Netherlandish Office for the Fine Arts, Old master paintings. An illustrated summary catalogue, Zwolle/Den Haag 1992, p. 243, no. 2101, inv. no. NK2244.

The actual painting is slightly warmer in tone and the high lights are less bright than the catalogue illustration suggests. The panel consists of one plank, bevelled along the edges (minor one on top). The painting is overall in good condition and no damages are visible to the naked eye. The paint layer is nicely preserved and under a glossy and new varnish layer. Inspection under UV-light reveals retouchings in the background, following the grain structure of the panel and small spots of retouchings in the faces of all the figures and a retouched strip along the lower right corner. The outfits of the figures and the table cloth are well preserved. Offered in a decorative, gilt wood frame, in good condition. (JD)
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In this elegant interior scene, one can clearly see how Pot was influenced by the early genre paintings of his fellow townsmen Dirck Hals (1591-1656) and Willem Buytewech (1591/2-1624). The full-length figures, as well as the composition in the room are much indebted to works by Hals and the lively colours used in this work are reminiscent of the typical merry companies by Buytewech. Compare, for example that by Buytenwech in the Szépmüvészeti Múzeum, Budapest (inv. no. 3831)¹ and by Hals in the Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem (inv. no. os 76-9).²

This picture can be dated to the 1620s by comparison with Pot's Brothel scene, also in the Frans Hals Museum (inv. no. os I-287) which dates from this period, and shows a very similar female figure to the females in the present work³. The somewhat larger heads and hands are typical for these early paintings of Pot, who later on devoted his time to small portraits and history paintings. 

1. See P.C.Sutton, Masters of Seventeenth-Century Dutch Genre Painting, Philadelphia 1984, pp. 172-3, cat. no. 26, plate 6.
2. See Painting in Haarlem 1500-1850, The Collection of the Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem 2006, p. 471.
3. op. cit., p. 578.